Verstappen, who will be guaranteed a second title this weekend if he wins and takes fastest lap, found just shy of three tenths over Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc to head the pack.
Although there was some surprise that FP1 and FP2 took place at all given the pre-event forecast for a washout, the wet running on Friday had a lasting impact as it paved the way for a hectic start to the final hour of practice on Saturday.
